Four seasons
by Jounah
Summary: In fall they met, winter they kissed, spring they separated, and in summer she left him. Now, five years later, Toushirou finds himself going through the same phases again. Only this time, there's no way he's letting her go. ToushirouxMomo
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, hello! Well, this is my first attempt at a Bleach fanfic, much less a Hitsugaya/Hinamori one. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't any characters of Bleach. They all belong to Tite Kubo. **

He would never forget the day he met her, when she first stumbled into the classroom, hair askew, stuttering with apologies. He'd never forget the smiles she gave him, the gentle way she laid her hand on his arm when he was angry, or the way she fit in his arms. He would always remember her voice, the smell of peaches that enveloped her and filled his senses when she was near. Her laughs echoed in his head and the way she pronounced his name did as well. Without photos he could clearly imagine her and all her facial features; he remembered the way she looked when she was angry, happy, sad, disappointed, and so many more. He recognized her favorite foods and all the television programs she'd tell him about. She haunted him in his dreams and even during the day.

"Hitsugaya-sama, the guests have arrived. They're already waiting in the fifth conference room on the 25th floor." He stirred from his thoughts, his eyes drifting up to his secretary who stood in the doorway.

"Thank you," he said. She gave a nod before leaving and returning to her desk outside his door. Toushirou sighed to himself, running a hand through his snow-white hair. He looked into a mirror, adjusting his tie before grabbing his black suit jacket. As usual, he'd spent the entire morning reminiscing. Luckily his body seemed to move automatically, and he'd done the needed paperwork.

He entered the elevator and wasn't the least bit surprised to find his vice-president Matsumoto Rangiku in there, wearing a dark blue skirt with white blouse and blue jacket. Toushirou entered, slipping on his jacket and buttoning it up as Rangiku began putting her hair up in a bun.

"You seem out of it as usual, Hitsugaya." Matsumoto commented, finishing up her hair style, the one she always wore when they were meeting people outside of the company. "You really need to be in here," she tapped his head, "when we talk with these people. They're important guests."

Toushirou swatted her hand away and replied, "I don't need you telling me that, Matsumoto-san. I know that already. I'm more worried that our guests will be too busy staring at you. You can be rather distracting during meetings." They stepped out of the elevator and walked down the long white hallway decorated with portraits of past presidents.

"I can't help it if I'm attractive. I don't ask for the attention. If men can't control themselves, then that's a disgrace to them. But they are men, so you can't expect much. You're the only exception because your heart has already been stolen. Even without that, you're hardly attracted to the opposite sex." Toushirou remained silent as Matsumoto continued, "You really think you'll find her? You haven't heard of or from her for five years or so, right? You should try to find someone else instead of keeping in the past. That's best for you and this company."

"Matsumoto," Toushirou said sharply, "what happens or has happened in my life is none of your concern."

"Hitsugaya, I'm saying this as a friend, not as one of your coworkers. You need to move forward in your life. I bet by now she probably already has a husband and even a child. If you should ever meet her again in the future, I don't want you to become a heart-broken drunk or anything of the sort." Matsumoto replied calmly as they stood outside the conference room. "That would, after all, be kind of creepy."

"Matsumoto, she's near me. I can feel it. Soon I'm going to find her, and nothing will have changed. Now, let's get this meeting over and done with." He opened the door and stepped in. "I hope we haven't kept you waiting too long."

"No, of course not. We only just arrived," a voice answered. Toushirou froze, his eyes drifting upwards. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. He'd heard it in his dreams every night; he'd heard it in every memory. How he'd ached and yearned to hear it again for real. His light green eyes rested on a petite woman with her dark hair pulled back in a bun, her amber brown eyes focused on him. The smile she gave him was almost too much.

"Momo…" he whispered, his throat tightening.

"Hitsugaya?" Matsumoto asked behind him. "Let's sit down and get this meeting started. You can talk with her once this is done." She'd peered around her superior and recognized the woman as Hinamori Momo, the one woman who had captured Hitsugaya Toushirou's heart.

"Hello, Hitsugaya-san." 'No,' Toushirou thought to himself, 'no. Call me Shirou-chan like always. Call me Shirou-chan.' He began moving automatically, his face instantly becoming an emotionless mask, something that his body seemed to have adjusted itself to do, especially when he was most emotional. "Hello, Matsumoto-san," she continued to greet.

"Now," he began, his tone business-like, "let us begin since we are all assembled."

"Actually," inserted Haru, the president of the other company, Mars, "we are not all assembled. We are still awaiting another one of our members to arrive. She has a tendency to be late, especially to important things such as these."

As if on cue, the door slammed open. All eyes turned to the figure that stood there, heaving and gasping, stuttering apologies. "I-I-I-I'm so-so sorry that-that I-I'm l-l-late. There-there really—there really was a lot-a lot of tra-traffic. And the-the elevator—the elevator was so slow. I-I-I'm sorry. Really, I am."

"There's no need to apologize, Momo. We've all gotten used to your tardiness."

Toushirou's eyes widened slightly. He was going to be working with Momo and…another person named Momo…? That would be strange to say the least. Shock almost crossed his face when the woman looked up and their eyes locked.

"Shirou-chan," escaped her lips. A dark blush crossed her face before she almost ran to the chair the other Momo had previously occupied. Toushirou and Matsumoto were confused. The two women looked exactly alike. Unless there was a projection of sorts or something, one Hinamori Momo had been occupying the chair. Was it some sort of joke or trick? If it was, it wasn't very funny; it was rather cruel, actually.

Toushirou watched the present Momo fidget under his gaze, her eyes trained on the hands folded in her lap. She allowed her hair to fall and cover her face. She'd overslept that morning and had been worrying too much about being late that she'd forgotten to grab something to put her hair up with. Her father had mentioned they'd be meeting the president and vice president of another company, but he'd failed to mention to her which one, and within good reason perhaps. If she'd known she'd be seeing Toushirou again, she wouldn't have bothered to come, making up some excuse not to attend the meeting.

"Hitsugaya-san, Matsumoto-san, you both seem confused. This, of course, is logical. The Hinamori Momo you saw when you came in was a mere clone of the real Hinamori Momo you see before you. As years of research has allowed us, we've been able to create a real living replica of Momo. However, the clone did not have the same reaction to Hitsugaya-san as the real Momo did." To this Momo's blush increased ten-fold. "That is one of the flaws that some of my scientists are working on."

"That is very interesting work, indeed," Toushirou replied. "Yet why you require our assistance in any matter is still quite a mystery to me." He got right to the matter, never being one to beat around the bush, one of his good and bad qualities.

"I'm surprised you have not yet figured it out, Hitsugaya-san. The fact of the matter is quite simple, actually. I bring out the proposal of a union between our two companies."

"Of course," Toushirou said. "That will be most important in the future for both of us."

"No, you misunderstand, Hitsugaya-san. I do not mean a mere contract of our cooperation together. I am speaking of the future. My daughter, Momo, is heiress to my line of companies. You, yourself, are an heir whom has already taken his rightful place as president despite your young age. Your companies, as well as mine, are the most prominent in the world. To sum it all up in a few words, a marriage between you and my daughter." Momo turned to her father in astonishment. He was not serious, was he? Yes, she and Toushirou had a history together, but it was just that—history, past, something over and done with. As for Toushirou, slight surprise flickered through his eyes.

Haru continued on. "With this merging of our companies, the heir would gain control over these and neither would fall. It would benefit us all in the end. Besides, you and my daughter are both unmarried. I'm sure with time you will begin to feel comfortable enough with each other that a marriage will not be so unbelievable." He waited a few moments before adding, "Now, I have some things at the lab I must attend to. Momo, you may stay here for a while longer. I will see you at home." Then he left, a few bodyguards as well as the clone Momo following after him.

"Bu-bu-but, father, wait!" Momo called. She was unanswered as the door shut behind the group, leaving Momo with her two bodyguards, Toushirou, and Matsumoto.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is so, so late! And it's super short as well. I'm terribly sorry about it. I hope you reviewers aren't too disappointed with me. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It belongs to Tite Kubo. **

The closing door left an awkward silence between the three people. Momo fidgeted in her seat, wringing her hands together. How had she ever ended up in such a predicament? On the other side of the table, Toushirou stared at her, disbelief clouding his thoughts. It was almost like a day hadn't passed between them. She still looked the same. He wanted her to look up; he wanted to see her face. Matsumoto watched this small development between her boss and her boss' past—or present?—lover. She looked from one face to another, Toushirou's clearly full of longing and surprise. Of course, it wouldn't be that obvious to the untrained eye, but she'd known him for a couple years now and was easily able to discern his emotions. Matsumoto then went back to looking at the young woman before them. She wasn't a supermodel beauty, but there was something about her that was just…cute. And…she seemed almost like Toushirou's opposite. First there were looks; their hair colors, skin tones, and eye colors were totally different. Then there were their personalities to consider as well. Toushirou was always so sure of himself, and he'd been branded as a genius at a very young age. The woman—or girl, Matsumoto wanted to refer to her as—seemed so flustered in Toushirou's presence, a growing blush on her cheeks.

"Well," began Matsumoto, "isn't this awkward? I feel like I'm intruding in on something. I think I'll just leave you two alone to talk." Matsumoto stood, ignoring Momo's pleas of, "Matsumoto-san, it's alright. You aren't invading in on anything. We-um-I-I-I have to go as well." Matsumoto heard her stand and begin walking away from the table.

"Hinamori-san, I insist that you stay here and talk with Hitsugaya-san. Don't you think it'd be better if you two got to know one another better? After all, if you are to join companies through marriage, it's always good to know who you're marrying before it actually happens." Matsumoto opened the door and turned around. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to work on." She closed the door behind her, leaving a miniscule crack so she could hear what was going to happen. It wasn't so often that one stumbled into the personal love life of Hitsugaya Toushirou.

Momo stood a few feet from the door, Matsumoto's words sinking in. She gulped, feeling more exposed now that she was standing. She could feel Toushirou's piercing gaze on her back.

"Hinamori-sama, would you like to leave now? Did you not have an interview for a teacher position today?" One of her bodyguards asked, sensing the discomfort that radiated from Momo. The bodyguard's eyes moved swiftly towards the white-haired man and then back to her Mistress. It seemed she'd have to do a background check on this 'Hitsugaya Toushirou'. There had to be some reason that would cause Momo's discomfort.

"Uh, um, yes, yes, thank you for reminding me, Kana-san." Momo turned around, half hiding her face. "I-I-I'm so-so-sorry, Hitsugaya-san, but I have to get going. Hope-hopefully we can—hopefully we can meet again another time," she said quickly, rushing to the door.

On the other side, Matsumoto searched for some place to hide. Quickly she scrambled into a nearby crevice, hoping she wouldn't be spotted. It would be extremely awkward if she were caught.

Momo grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open, practically running out the door. Her bodyguards followed, but not before politely bowing to Toushirou. He sat there, slightly dumbfounded. That hadn't gone exactly as he would've wanted it. He hadn't gotten to say anything to her. He leaned back in his chair, glaring moodily at the ceiling. Eventually she'd be forced to talk to him by her father, but he didn't want that. He wanted her to come to him of her own free will. Sure it was uncomfortable at first, but it should've gotten better. He wondered how long her discomfort would last. Knowing her, it could be a while. She hadn't seemed particularly enthusiastic when they'd met again. Of course…she'd been the one to leave him, not the other way around. So, in a way, he could kind of understand where she was coming from.

Toushirou groaned to himself, rubbing his temples. Sure he was a genius, but there was no way he could figure out the mind of Hinamori Momo. Matsumoto…sure he could figure her out…most of the time, but that was Matsumoto. Momo…she was a little more complicated.

Then he had a thought. Momo was a girl, and Matsumoto was a girl. Girls could understand the logic of other girls, right?

"Matsumoto!" He called, knowing she was most likely standing outside the door right now. She eavesdropped like there was no tomorrow.

Slowly the door opened and in stepped in V.P. "I can't believe how bad you are at talking to girls. Really, Hitsugaya. It's a wonder you even wooed her in the first place. But," she sat down in a chair, "what problems do I have to solve for you?"

"…I…don't really know how to phrase it. All I have are a bunch of thoughts that just don't make sense. Momo…she's just so…confusing, really. I don't understand her at all."

"If I knew her well, then maybe I'd be able to tell you, but I don't, so I can't. Sorry about that. Hey! Maybe we should take her drinking. Drinking always makes people feel more comfortable." Matsumoto brightened at the idea. When was the last time she'd gone drinking? Oh…maybe last weekend…?

"No," Toushirou replied immediately. "Momo is not a drinker, and I'm not going to encourage her to start by taking her to a bar. And if her father found out, well, there goes the end of that."

"Hm…you're right, I guess. Hey, what about that position she's applying for? You could apply there too! Rekindle your love in a school environment. How about it, Hitsugaya? Sounds pretty smart, doesn't it?"

Toushirou sat there for a few minutes, contemplating. First he'd have to find out if Momo was applying somewhere for real. Then he'd have to find out if another job position would be available. Then he'd have to convince people to allow him to teach. Sure he hadn't gotten a teaching degree, but how hard was it to tell a bunch of kids what to do? If he could command adults, kids wouldn't be too bad.

"So, Hitsugaya, you going to do it?" Matsumoto prodded, already knowing the answer.

"You know…sometimes I'm grateful you're my vice president."

"I know, I know. You wouldn't get anywhere without me."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well…this isn't as long a chapter as I'd like, but I haven't updated in a little bit, and I felt that it was necessary. Here's my holiday gift to all my readers and reviewers. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It belongs to Tite Kubo. **

It'd been a long, long process, trying to get him into the field of education. Who knew that teachers had to go through so much just to teach kids? Toushirou didn't believe any of it made sense. Really, though. How hard was it to tell a bunch of kids what to do?

He'd gone through a few basic classes just to understand the best way of teaching and learning more about education in general. Of course, being the genius that he was, it'd taken him a little over two weeks to absorb and understand everything. By that time, he still had people trying to convince the school board, and everyone else in the town where Momo was working, that he would make a good teacher. But now it was two months later, mid-November. During their last meeting and now, Toushirou hadn't seen or heard from Momo. Sure her father called on occasion and visited about twice a month, but there was no sign of Momo. He hadn't even had time to see her at the school where she taught because his company was reaching a high point in their stocks.

In the last few weeks, he'd taken the time to thoroughly fill Matsumoto in on everything that was happening in the company. He'd most likely be concerned with whatever school matters were presented to him, but he was confident in the fact that he'd be nearby to help with whatever would happen to his company.

Now, however, he had to focus. He'd just pulled into the school parking lot, forty-five minutes before school officially started. Around him, other staff was driving in. He sat and stared at the snow that was rapidly falling down. Already there was a thin layer of it on the ground, marred by footprints and tire tracks. He turned off his car and sat. Something about winter, about simply watching snow was soothing to him. Momo had always enjoyed the season as well, but stated that her favorite was spring. The warmth it presented was almost like the one she radiated.

Sighing once again to himself, he opened the car door and stepped out. He shoved his hand in his coat pockets and began walking towards the school. Once inside, he made his way to the school office. Sitting at a desk was a woman in her early 30's perhaps, typing away on a computer and talking into a phone at the same time. She paused when Toushirou walked in and blushed when their eyes met. She diverted hers quickly and stuttered softly on the phone. Toushirou spent his waiting time looking around the office. A large glass cabinet stored pieces of artwork. On the walls were pictures, some artworks, others photos taken not too long ago. Most were of students, but there would be a couple here and there with teachers.

A frown and twitching of the eyebrows was the result of one those pictures. Anyone who really knew Toushirou could guess without seeing the picture that Momo was in it…and probably with another man. That was the case, but there were other teachers as well, of course. Toushirou's jaw clenched. Okay…he was jealous, but it wouldn't be that hard to convince the man to stay away from Momo. No one was going to take her, especially not some half-wit teacher.

"Uh-um-uh-um, sir, how-how can I-can I help you?" The secretary asked, turning an even deeper shade of red when Toushirou turned around.

"I'm a new teacher here, actually—Hitsugaya Toushirou."

"O-oh, yes, Hitsugaya-san. Igarashi-san told me you would be arriving today. Actually, you're to be a student teacher of…Hinamori-chan. That's…odd. Is that right?" The woman looked over her papers again and then went searching through her computer. "Hm…" she began with a puzzled look. "I guess…that is true. But…Hinamori-chan didn't request a student teacher. But…I guess if that's what it says, then we'll do that. Alright, Hinamori-chan's on the second floor in room 210. Right now her class will be in music, so you'll have time to acquaint yourselves."

"Thank you," Toushirou replied with a nod, leaving the office. He found the staircase and walked up. He turned down the left hallway and found room 210 on his right side. The door was partially open, and inside Momo was shuffling through papers and adjusting things around the room. Toushirou found himself admiring her petite form. Today she wore a pair of dark jeans with a white ¾ sleeve, button-down collared shirt and a pair of plain black flats. Even in this simple outfit, he found her beautiful. Then again…when someone, especially guys, saw the one they loved, didn't they think them beautiful?

He placed a light knock on the door and leaned against the doorframe. Momo whipped around, wondering who had knocked. Her face paled slightly and her expression became one of surprise and embarrassment. The two stood, one waiting for the other to say something.

"Wh-w-what-what are you-what are you doing here…To-Hitsugaya-san?" Momo asked after a few minutes of passive silence. Finally she looked up, gulping. She steadied her gaze. It'd been a few months already since she'd last seen him. Although her father had lightly suggested that she visit Toushirou, she'd refused, too ashamed to meet him face to face. She knew it was cowardly and that she should've gotten over it in the last five years, but she just couldn't. And now, at probably the worst of times, he was standing before her, giving her that same penetrating, yet at the same time aloof, stare.

"Didn't anyone tell you you were receiving a new student teacher today?" He asked casually, striding into the room. He removed his coat and draped it on his arm. Slowly he loosened his scarf and lay it on his arm as well.

"Um, no. I think everyone must've forgotten to mention that this morning at the meeting." She replied nervously. "So…how have you been…Hitsugaya-san?"

"It's been a little stressful here and there, but fine nonetheless. How've you been?"

"Fine. Um, uh, well…the children should be returning soon from their music class. I'll do introductions, and you can…elaborate if you want."

"Mm," Toushirou replied, looking at kids' paintings that Momo had hung up on the wall.

"Hinamori-sensei! Hinamori-sensei!" The voices of little kids echoed through the hallway. The door suddenly burst open, and children, who were way below Toushirou's waist, streamed in. Many of them formed a group around Momo's legs. The only exception was a little girl with waist-length raven curls and dark red-violet eyes. She sat at her desk, staring at the surface, her hands fiddling with a loose thread on her sleeve.

It seemed that none of them had noticed Toushirou's presence. He waited for a few minutes while the kids told Momo all about what they'd done in music class. He watched her laugh and smile, each one real and full of the same warmth that had once been directed at him; yes, one day she'd make a great mother, and it would hopefully, no, he corrected himself, it would be, to his children. Finally, most of the kids had settled down and noticed their guest. Toushirou could feel a frown of irritation growing on his face. Hadn't these kids every learned how rude it was to stare? Geez, didn't parents teach their kids anything these days? Well, his kids certainly wouldn't be like this, that's for sure.

"Everyone, this is Hitsugaya Toushirou-san. He's going to be a student teacher for the rest of the school year, so be nice to him, okay?"

"Okay, Hinamori-sensei," the children answered. Toushirou almost shuddered; these kids were perhaps a little too good for his liking. If he'd been one of these children, he probably would've scoffed or done something of the sort…even if the teacher had been someone like Momo. Oh well…. They were young. At least they didn't really know how to disrespect adults…yet.

"…Hitsugaya-san, would you like to add anything?" Toushirou lifted his eyes, his way of showing he was startled. How deep in thought had he been exactly? Well, certainly enough to be startled, of course.

"No, I'm fine."

His aqua-colored eyes suddenly drifted to meet the strange colored eyes of the small girl. She seemed…shocked for some reason. From his position, he could see tears glistening in her eyes.

"Misaki-chan, what's wrong?" A girl beside her asked worriedly. "Misaki-chan?"

Before he could process anything, the little girl had sprung out of her chair and run over, latching herself to his legs. She was silently sobbing, clutching onto him like a lifeline. He looked at Momo, unsure of what to do. She was the one who'd dealt with these kids before, not him. He wasn't an expert when it came to kids. Sure he'd been one before, but his life had been much more different than theirs (most likely). Momo walked over and kneeled beside the tiny girl.

"Misaki-chan, please let go of Hitsugaya-san. What's wrong, sweetie?" She caressed Misaki's hair, hoping to soothe the crying girl. This was the first time Momo had ever seen her show such emotion. Sure there were times when she did, but it hardly ever occurred. The only time she'd ever seen a smile cross the girl's face was when Momo was reading to them, or when Misaki herself was learning to read.

Misaki simply shook her head, hiding her face away from Momo, cringing from her touch.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Momo softly asked again, her hand still running through Misaki's hair. The girl slightly turned her face towards Momo, her eyes already red and puffy.

And then she mouthed one word that made Momo freeze. _Daddy_.

**A/N: Happy Holidays everyone. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wah! I must really be feeling the holiday spirit or something. I'm actually updating, and it hasn't been five months since my last update! I'm so proud of myself. I hope you guys like this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It belongs to Tite Kubo.**

Toushirou watched Momo as she spoke to the girl clinging to his legs. She froze, and then her amber eyes slowly drifted up to meet his own turquoise ones. If this had been five years ago or even a time before that, he would've never noticed the emotions in her eyes. Now he did, and they stung him somehow. He could sense hurt, betrayal, and confusion flowing through and radiating off of her. What had the girl said?

Her eyes broke contact with his and went back to Misaki. "M-M-Misaki-chan, I-I-Toushirou—I mean, Hit-Hitsugaya-san can't—he can't possibly be…" Momo looked up at him again, her eyes pleading. "You just can't be…can you…?" She asked him, hoping with her entire being that he hadn't moved on. Had there been a time when he'd actually been able to forget her? Ever since she'd left him, she'd never gone a day where she'd forgotten him. He'd haunted her every moment of her life, if not in dreams, then in objects, things found in her everyday life.

"I just can't be what?" Toushirou asked. Whatever the girl had said couldn't have been good if it produced this sort of reaction from Momo.

She searched his face, his eyes, for any sort of answer. He seemed confused. Perhaps he didn't know he had a child? Of course; that had to be a fact. If his child was here, then he wouldn't have had to enroll as a student teacher. He would've instantly recognized Misaki, also. Toushirou was usually very good at hiding his emotions, but it seemed as though the wall between him and his emotions was breaking.

"I can't be what?" Toushirou asked again. It'd been a few minutes since he'd asked his question, and it'd still gone unanswered. Now, Toushirou wasn't used to that kind of behavior; the only one would dare leave his questions unanswered was Momo, and that was when she was teasing him. But now was not a time to be teasing him, and Toushirou sort of figured that she was still in shock and denial from whatever had been revealed to her.

Perhaps if he could've, he would've bent down and softly asked her once again what he couldn't be. However, Misaki refused to let go of him. If this were an adult female, he would've calmly and politely told them to remove themselves, and if they refused, then he would resort to force. But this was a little girl who barely reached his hip.

Finally deciding that Momo wouldn't answer his question, he gently removed Misaki and bent down to look her in the eyes. "Misaki-chan, wasn't it?" She gave a small nod, her head bowed. Now…how to ask his question so that she could understand. Hm…. "Who am I?" Expecting her to answer, he was surprised when she looked up and mouthed something. Totally unprepared for it, he'd missed her answer. "Who am I?" he asked again. She bit her lip hesitantly as if afraid to answer now. _Daddy._

So that was what made Momo freeze. Although it wasn't a particularly good thing that Misaki thought him to be her father and Momo probably thought he'd forgotten about her and moved on even for a moment, her reaction sparked some hope in him. She wouldn't have reacted that way if she hadn't really cared for him. But now he had to push his feelings aside and sort out the mess at hand. Who would've thought that being a CEO of a company would come in handy in this sort of environment?

He cleared his throat and tired looking as gently as he could at Misaki. "I'm sorry, Misaki-chan, but…I just…can't be your daddy." She shook her head furiously and detached herself from him. She ran towards her desk and searched through her book bag. After a few minutes she ran back with a crinkled photo in hand. She shoved it into his hands and looked at him expectantly, hopefully. She had proof. Now that she'd found daddy, she wouldn't be alone anymore. He'd take care of her.

Toushirou stared at the photo in his hand. Standing there with a small smile on his face was someone who looked exactly like him. It just couldn't be him though. He would've remembered taking this picture if it was. And…conveniently enough…the mother wasn't in the photo. It wasn't one of those pictures where the portion with the mother was torn off. She must've been the one to take the picture. And the two had been married; Toushirou could tell by the small glint of a ring on the man's left hand.

Although their looks were similar, Toushirou knew that this person couldn't be him. Unless he'd been drugged for a portion of his life, he'd never been married to anyone nor had a kid with them.

"Misaki…who is your mother?" She looked from him to Momo and back to him. She shrugged slowly and took back her picture.

* * *

The rest of the day continued on with even more awkwardness between Momo and Toushirou. None of the kids seemed to have understood what was really going on, which made Toushirou envy them. When he'd decided to enter education, he hadn't expected that someone would claim him as their father. He already had enough obstacles with Momo. He didn't need her thinking that he'd gone and had a kid with another woman.

After school Misaki reluctantly filed out of the classroom with small bouts of encouragement from Hoshiko, her best friend, and the little girl who'd asked her before if she was okay. However, Misaki sat herself outside the classroom door, determined to stay and wait for her daddy. Hoshiko sighed and sat herself down beside Misaki. Sometimes she really couldn't understand Misaki, but Misaki was a sweet and kind girl; sometimes she was stubborn beyond all belief, but she was good. Besides, Hoshiko's older brother probably wouldn't be coming for another hour or so anyways. His girlfriend was much more important than his younger sister.

"Is there something you wanted to ask?" Momo asked stiffly after fifteen minutes of having Toushirou stare at her while she finished up some things on the computer. Of all days to be stuck with paperwork, it just had to be today, the one day where everything had just been going downhill. She'd woken up half-an-hour late and hadn't had time to make lunch. She'd arrived ten minutes late to the meeting and gotten a major scolding from Igarashi-san; today had also been the one day when the head of the school board just had to attend a meeting. And then Shirou-chan had decided to spring up on her as a student teacher. If that hadn't been uncomfortable enough, one of her students had claimed him as her father. Then during lunch she'd been bombarded with the paperwork she was currently working on. Shirou-chan had sat in the room with her, working on some of the paperwork he'd offered to take up. He'd also offered to get her lunch, and that resulted in her debating with herself. She wanted him out of the classroom, even if for a little bit so she wouldn't feel so nervous, but there was something about his presence that brought on memories and comforted her. She was stock full of conflicting emotions. In the end, he'd decided to get her lunch, fed up with her indecisiveness. And then that led her to the present. Sure, she could work on the paperwork at home, but installing the program she needed at home would take forever.

"Momo, I just wanted to explain about this morning. Misaki-chan seems like a really good kid, but…she's not mine. I know she had the photo, but that wasn't me."

Momo bit her lip. Saying what she was about to would take some effort. "…Why…would I care…? If you had a child with someone else…why should that matter to me…? It's not like it's affecting me personally. You don't have to explain yourself to me. After all…it's not like we really had anything to begin with. Infatuations aren't meant to last. They're simply there for the moment like everything else." The words that had escaped were so uncharacteristically like her; her jealousy was getting the best of her. She avoided his eyes, knowing full well that he would be able to tell she was lying.

If Toushirou were any other man, he would've strode forward and grabbed her, forcing her to listen to him. But he was Hitsugaya Toushirou, and he didn't (usually) act on his emotions like that. He took a deep breath. "Yes, you may be willing to think something like that, but the both of us know you're lying. Until you come to terms with yourself, I'll still be here, waiting." He slipped on his coat and walked out the room without a second glance.

* * *

Momo watched him walk out, swallowing the words that wanted to come out of her mouth. She wanted to call him back, wanted to apologize, but something was stopping her. So she simply sat there and watched him walk away, as if he were going to totally disappear from her life as she had done to him.

* * *

As soon as Toushirou walked out of the room, he almost tripped over himself. Waiting in the hallway were Misaki and her friend, Hoshiko.

"What are you guys doing out here?" He asked, fixing his scarf.

"We were waiting for you," Hoshiko answered, standing up. Misaki stood up beside her, dusting herself off. "Well, Misaki-chan was waiting for you. I still have to wait for my onii-chan."

Misaki tugged on Hoshiko's hand. Hoshiko looked at her and then shook her head. "No, I wouldn't want to impose on you. I'll just wait here. Maybe Hinamori-sensei can just take me home." She smiled reassuringly and then walked into the classroom.

The two stared at each other until Toushirou spoke up. "Misaki-chan, look…I'm not your daddy. I'll take you home, but that's it." He began walking ahead, but stopped when he didn't hear her small steps following after. "What is it?" He walked back to her and kneeled before her.

_I don't have a home to go to._ She told him solemnly.

"But…I can't take you to mine. If anyone found out that I'd taken you home, well…they'd think bad things, and I would get in trouble."

_But I want to go home with daddy._

Toushirou sighed. There was no way he'd be able to get her to understand. And then if anyone asked, it's not like they would believe he was her father. There was no proof, except for that photo, and that wasn't much. How'd she get enrolled in school anyways? Having guardians was a requirement. Maybe…he'd get Matsumoto to look after her tonight, and he'd try to find out more about her. Yeah…that was the best thing he could do. But then what if they thought Matsumoto had kidnapped her or something? Then again, if she really didn't have a home to return to, no one would really question anything. And if that happened, Matsumoto could just blame everything on him. Yeah, he'd just have to take her over to Matsumoto's. He'd have a long night ahead of him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It belongs to Tite Kubo.**

"Matsumoto, how's she doing?" Toushirou asked, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder while he continued looking up things on his computer. It'd been a few hours since he'd dropped Misaki off at Rangiku's. The little girl had been hesitant, and it'd taken a full hour before she'd stopped clinging to Toushirou. He'd had to promise the little girl over and over that he'd see her in the morning, but she had to stay with Matsumoto while he worked. Misaki, as if sensing his urgency, reluctantly agreed to stay.

"She's fine, Hitsugaya. I don't understand why you're so worried. I may like drinking, but that doesn't mean that I can't take care of a kid. She's actually pretty sweet and easy to please," Matsumoto replied.

"What'd you feed her for dinner? Have you been giving her snacks? Have you made sure she's brushed her teeth? She better be going to bed soon; it's already past eight. Did you go buy her pajamas and clothes for tomorrow like I asked you to?" asked Toushirou, his brow furrowing as he continued to search for information on Misaki. He'd already called the superintendent of the school and asked for permission to search for files on her. It didn't hurt that he had the influential status as CEO of his own company either.

"Wow, Hitsugaya, you've sure turned fatherly all of a sudden," Rangiku commented amusedly. "But, anyway, since I can't remember all of the questions you asked…I'll just tell you what we did. Let's see…you left, and then I took her shopping. Do you know how cute clothes for girls are? I got her a pair of p.j.s with little teddy bears on them. Not exactly my taste, but she likes it." He could imagine Rangiku shrugging her shoulders at this. "There was just so much to choose from. We spent well over two hours in the stores. You didn't give me enough money to buy a whole bunch of stuff, so I bought some stuff by myself. I even got her some clothes that will totally make her fit in in Harajuku. Oh, and wouldn't you know it? Rukia and Ichigo were shopping around there too for their kid on the way. Rukia has pretty good taste when it comes to clothes. Ichigo was just sort of like the bag carrier. And then her toothbrush is Hello Kitty, and I even got Hello Kitty toothpaste, strawberry flavor and glittery. Hm…what did we do for dinner? Oh, I didn't get her McDonald's or anything, if that's what you're worried about. We went out with Ichigo and Rukia to a ramen shop. It's pretty good. We should book it sometime for a company party. We just got home a little over an hour ago and started baking cookies." Toushirou almost snorted. Rangiku cooking? She'd more likely burn her house down. "I know you're probably scoffing to yourself; I didn't say I did the baking. Misaki-chan's pretty good at it."

"You let her use the oven by herself too, didn't you?" Toushirou asked seriously before smirking as he found what he wanted.

"Of course I didn't," Rangiku replied immediately. I offered to help her, but she insisted. The end result was no burns and a good-smelling house." He heard her chewing on the other end much to his disgust. He pulled the phone away from his ear before putting it back once he was sure she wasn't eating anything anymore. "Her cookies are pretty good. They're nice and chewy. Oh, she just finished her cookie and wants to talk to you."

Toushirou sat on the other end, flabbergasted. What would he say to her?

"Daddy…?" He heard her ask softly on the other end.

Instantly his expression softened. "Hey, Misaki. Is Matsumoto treating you well?"

"Yes, Rangiku-san is being very nice. I like her a lot."

"That's good, that's good," he said. He paused then, unsure of what to say next.

"Daddy…you'll be here in the morning, right?" Misaki asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Toushirou replied. "I promised, didn't I?"

"Mm-hm," Misaki said, sounding relieved. "Well…I have to go brush my teeth now. See you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, Daddy."

"'Night, Misaki. Sweet dreams." He waited, knowing Rangiku was probably going to take the phone again.

"You really do make a good dad," she commented. "Who would've thought? Anyway, are you picking her up before school or do I have to drop her off?"

"I think it'll be better if you drop her off. I have to finish up some things still. Bye."

"Bye, Hitsugaya," Rangiku replied. He could imagine her rolling her eyes as she said this.

After hanging up, Toushirou stared at the computer screen. He rubbed his eyes tiredly before looking at the picture frame beside it. He leaned forward and grabbed it. His thumb brushed the glass as he reminisced. The picture was supposed to have been a nice one where he and Momo stood in the water, smiling while the camera would automatically flash. Momo, being the clumsy being she was—is—she'd slipped on a small rock and grabbed onto Toushirou's arm, dragging him down with her. They'd ended up soaked, and the picture showed that, Momo laughing happily while Toushirou looked slightly irritated, his arms crossed, but a small, evident smile on his face.

**A/N: I'm sorry the chapter's so short and that there's hardly any Momo/Toushirou interaction, but I wanted to get this chapter out there. And it's getting kind of late, and I'm really tired. Thanks for sticking with me though. ::smiles::**


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